As you are aware, Clermont County communities are being hit by the opioid epidemic, but members of the community are here to fight it. Representative Brad Wenstrup joined the Clermont County Opiate Task Force to discuss how the opiate and pill addiction problem has turned into a heroin problem and what we can do as a local community to help people recover, as well as prevent our friends, sisters, brothers, and children from becoming addicted. Addressing the problem will take a coordinated effort from local, state, and federal governments, and especially the support of the community. Check out our pictures from the event below. The first picture attached is our one and only Associate Director Lee Ann Watson with Rep. Wenstrup.

If I were to poll our readers right now, I am certain that not a single one of you would pick the option: “Yes, I love being stressed out.”

I mean, how could you? We’ve all heard that stress makes you sick, stress is bad for your health, stress is linked to insomnia… the list goes on and on.

I start to cringe at even the thought of this dreaded 6-letter word, so today, I am here to teach you how to hack stress. We found 6 simple tips to make stress your friend instead of the enemy. Yes, I know this sounds a little crazy. Stay with me, science is on our side.

But first, Kelly McGonigal’s “How to Make Stress Your Friend” TED Talk offers an eye-opening perspective on how stress affects us, and how to use it to our advantage…..click here to read more!

Your best friend. Your dad. That lady down the street. That quiet kid in school. That loud kid in school. That dude in accounting. Your cousin in Alaska. That hipster in the flannel in Brooklyn. That rando who might lurk online. Crisis Text Line is for everyone.

Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Text 741741 from anywhere in the USA to text with a trained Crisis Counselor.

Ohio is making it easier for individuals who are experiencing a stressful situation to find immediate help, 24/7 with the launch of a free, confidential, statewide Crisis Text Line. Starting today, any Ohio resident who needs help coping with a crisis can now text the keyword “4hope” to 741741 to be connected to a crisis counselor. Trained crisis counselors are on stand-by to provide a personal response and information on a range of issues, including: suicidal thoughts, bullying, depression, self-harm, and more. The specialist helps the user stay safe and healthy with effective, secure support. The keyword “4hope” was developed by the Stark County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery (StarkMHAR) board, which piloted a crisis text line for youth and young adults as part of the Strong Families, Safe Communities funding initiative supported by OhioMHAS and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.

Our Principles

We fight for the texter. Our first priority is helping people move from a hot moment to a cool calm, guiding you to create a plan to stay safe and healthy. YOU = our priority.

We believe data science and technology make us faster and more accurate. See our Founder’s TED talk for more scoop on how we’re using this stuff. While we love data science and technology, we don’t think robots make great Crisis Counselors. Instead, we use this stuff to make us faster and more accurate–but every text is viewed by a human.

We believe in open collaboration. We share our learnings in newsletters, at conferences and on social media. And, we’ve opened our data to help fuel other people’s work.

OUR APPROACH

Q: IS CRISIS TEXT LINE COUNSELING?

A: No, our specialists do not counsel, but rather practice active listening to help texters move from a hot moment to a cool calm.

Q: WHAT IS ACTIVE LISTENING?

A: Active listening is when someone communicates in a way that is empathetic, understanding, and respectful. It includes focus on the texter and thoughtful answers.

Q: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CRISIS TEXT LINE AND THERAPY?

A: Crisis Text Line is not a replacement for therapy. Therapy includes a diagnosis made by a doctor, a treatment plan of action, and a patient/therapist relationship. Crisis Text Line helps people in moments of crisis. Our crisis counselors practice active listening to help our texters find calm and create an action plan for themselves to continue to feel better. Crisis Text Line’s crisis counselors are not therapists.

Q: WHO STARTED CRISIS TEXT LINE?

A: We were founded by our CEO, Nancy Lublin. After seeing a need for the service we provide, Nancy hired a team to build what is our current platform. The original team included a data scientist and an engineer. Hear our story here.

The number of suicide deaths in Clermont County declined dramatically to 19 in 2015, compared to 35 in 2014 and 31 in 2013.

Lee Ann Watson, Associate Director of the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board (MHRB), attributes that to more education about suicide prevention at Clermont schools, and more awareness of the county’s 24/7 crisis hotline, 528-SAVE (7283), which began in 2003.

So far this year, there have been 16 suicide deaths. On Sept. 14, Clermont County held its 15th annual candlelight vigil to remember loved ones whose lives have been lost to suicide. The vigil will be held 6:30-8 p.m. at Union Township’s Veterans Memorial Park.

MHRB has contracted with Child Focus, a nonprofit providing mental health services to youth and families, since 2003 to staff its crisis hotline. “Mental health professionals answer the phone and can assess whether a mobile crisis team needs to be sent out to the caller’s home,” Watson said.

Child Focus employees and independent contractors staff the hotline; all have at least a master’s degree and are licensed as a counselor, social worker, psychologist, or chemical dependency counselor. Six hotline responders have been with the team since it began in 2003.

In 2015, Clermont County Crisis Hotline answered 2,665 calls for help. That year, there were also 327 mobile crisis runs in the community, and 180 mobile crisis referrals were made by Clermont County law enforcement officers for follow-up, connection to treatment, and other needed resources. Through August 2016, Clermont County Crisis Hotline has taken 2,288 calls, made 224 runs, and received 130 referrals.

Watson says MHRB has been zealous in promoting the 528-SAVE number. The number has been distributed to law enforcement agencies throughout the county, to Clermont Public Library branches, to doctors’ offices and Clermont Mercy Hospital, to high schools and at community awareness workshops. It has also been advertised on Clermont Transportation Connection buses.

Child Focus also teaches a daylong seminar called Signs of Suicide at schools throughout Clermont County, Watson said. The training is offered to students and teachers, and has been conducted at Goshen, West Clermont and Milford schools.

“Students are taught to recognize signs of suicides, either in themselves or a friend, and to talk to an adult who can help them,” she said. Clermont school districts interested in receiving more information on the Signs of Suicide program can contact Susan Graham at Child Focus, 513-752-1555.

“Any life lost to suicide is one too many,” said Watson. “That is why it’s so important for people who are thinking about it to know that help exists. Our 528-SAVE number saves lives.”

Scientific advances now make it possible to prevent substance abuse from starting; to intervene early and stop emerging substance abuse; and to effectively treat even serious addictions using new medications and therapies. Despite this progress, parents of adolescents and young adults facing substance use problems still need to sort through the myriad amount of information available on the Internet; an often exhausting and sometimes discouraging task. The dearth of trustworthy information about preventing, intervening upon and treating adolescent substance use problems can sometimes be a deterrent to learning and taking action.

The Treatment Research Institute (TRI), through its new Family Resource Center website, wants to alleviate that stress for parents. By researching the most consistent, accurate and scientifically informed information, TRI sorted through the most widely available resources so parents and caring loved ones don’t have to. There IS good information to help adolescents and young adults. There ARE solutions. It DOESN’T have to be so overwhelming……click here to read further.

Going back to school is an exciting time for kids and teens, but it can also be a stressful time.

There’s not just the stress of fitting in and getting good grades. But, also the threat of bullying that can threaten students’ emotional and physical safety at school.

Sometimes this stress can even turn into a mental health disorder. In fact, as many as 12 million young people are diagnosed with a mental health disorder in a given year.

Mental Health America (MHA) is working to lower that number and keep kids mentally healthier this school year. Our revolutionary online screening program provides one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether your child, student, or friend is experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.

The Parent Screen is for parents of young people to determine if their child’s emotions, attention, or behaviors might be signs of a problem. Our Youth Screen is for young people (age 11-17) who are concerned that their emotions, attention, or behaviors might be a sign of a problem.

Mental health disorders in children are treatable. The early identification, diagnosis, and treatment that MHA advocates can help more kids reach their full potential this school year—and beyond! Click here to be redirected to the MHA website containing this information.

In August 2015 the CDC and SAMHSA launched 1 Photo, 6 Words. #VetoViolence-an initiative that encouraged using social media to promote activities that prevent suicide. In late February 2016, a brief video was released featuring photos that suicide prevention professionals, public health practitioners, and others posted to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The video shows ways that people are giving hope and fostering resilience in families, relationships, workplaces, and communities across the country.

In August 2015 the CDC and SAMHSA launched 1 Photo, 6 Words. #VetoViolence-an initiative that encouraged using social media to promote activities that prevent suicide. In late February 2016, a brief video was released featuring photos that suicide prevention professionals, public health practitioners, and others posted to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The video shows ways that people are giving hope and fostering resilience in families, relationships, workplaces, and communities across the country. Here is our response:

Hospitals are under increased scrutiny from regulatory agencies over prescription drug abuse and the potential for drug diversion from medical institutions. For hospital leadership, it is a patient safety issue. It is an employee health issue. It is a clinical quality and readmissions issue. And it is a legal and compliance issue.

The traditional approach to alleviating patient pain by using prescription opioids as the primary solution has created an environment where opioids are plentiful. And because hospitals hold a high inventory of regulated pharmaceuticals, they risk becoming a prime source of prescription drugs hitting the streets, where their value becomes highly inflated.

By taking a hard look at policies and oversight, hospital administrators can help reduce their institution’s risk of prescription drug in…..click here to read full article.

A new report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety concludes there is no scientific basis for setting legal limits for marijuana and driving. These limits are arbitrary and unsupported by science, the group says.

States that allow recreational use of marijuana have legal tests for driving while impaired by the drug, the Associated Press reports. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is calling for repeal of those laws. Read further by clicking here.